Tag Archives: american textile history museum

After an inexcusably long hiatus, we’re back with more Awesome Tufts Internships ™.

Today we hear from Alexandra van den Berg, who is going into her second year in the History and Museum Studies MA degree. She wrote to us back in June, so she’s already moved on to the second portion of her internship as described below:

I’m currently on Martha’s Vineyard working with Edward Maeder (costume curator) on a private costume collection! The pieces are from the 1850s to the 1970s, with a preponderance of dresses from the 20s-40s. We are just starting what will become a much larger project of putting together a traveling exhibition, catalog, and website about this lady and her clothes. Basically I’ve been steaming dresses, dressing mannequins, working with the photographer, and taking notes on long-term work that needs to be done for each garment. I’m taking a pattern from one of the garments and learning how to wash old textiles.

After this (which is only for two weeks) I’ll be at the American Textile History Museum, cataloging their 20th century costume collection and rewriting their disaster plan.

The American Textile History Museum is seeking a graduate intern to assist the curator with preliminary research and object selection for a wedding dress exhibit in the spring of 2013. Specific duties include researching period magazines, drafting object labels, creating a bibliography, and researching individual garments. Individual must have excellent computer skills, artifact handling skills and be detail-oriented, precise, and careful in executing responsibilities. A background in costume history or experience with costume preferred. Please send a cover letter and resume to Karen Herbaugh at kherbaugh@athm.org. Internship for the spring 2012 semester.